Maintenance
Back when I played hockey, we would train hard all summer and into the fall. Once the season would start up on November 1st, we’d enter ‘maintenance mode.’ Which, essentially was an effort to hang on to as much strength as possible during the grueling season. The goal was when spring time rolled around, we weren’t 15 pounder lighter and starting our off-season program over again from scratch.
The goal of maintenance, in regards to a strength and conditioning program, is about keeping what you've built within striking distance. Meaning, you wanted to be able to get your deadlift and squat and clean numbers back to where they were in the preseason after a month or so of dedicated training. This would allow you to then, progress from one summer to the next, instead of starting over every off-season.
This works a lot better in theory than in practice, but nevertheless, is a sound way to design a program when you’ll be faced with a six month season and many hours of practice, games, traveling and of course all the high speed collisions one faces when lacing up the skates.
Maintenance mode for a sports program is not much different from what we’re facing now. Once the gym reopens, we’ll all be eager to get our hands on a barbell, push the sled and maybe, just maybe, be excited to ride an AirBike.
There’s no beating around the bush, that stuff is going to be hard when we get back. After a several week break, your muscles will be sore, your body tired and you may even have to rebuild those callouses. Instead of dreading the inevitable, consider taking on this perspective: you’re in maintenance mode, training to be ready when the gates open.
Now, you can be training hard right now, and many of you are. You don’t think I would be ashamed of a deadlift PR in the middle of the season, do you? No, of course not! You can still build strength while maintaining, it just isn’t the focus or the main driver. If you’re struggling with motivation and eager to get back to the gym though, I urge you to think about your current training as maintenance. Once we’re back open, how quickly will you be able to return to your strength levels?
It’s going to take time, for everyone. But you’re better off doing bodyweight squats than no squats at all. Or kettlebell swings instead of no deadlifts at all. Everything you’re doing, whether that’s just foam rolling or Zoom workouts or daily kettlebell swings or a couple of bodyweight movements here and there - will help you maintain, will help you be ready to build when the time comes.
Justin Miner
@justinminergain
